Railway brake beam



Nov. 27, 1923.

S.A.CRONE RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Filed July 51.

1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JuL ATTORNEY INVENTOR 115 61. 6uhL Nov. 27 1923. 1,475,285

, S. A. CRONE V RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM, I

Filed July 31. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR l n TI a ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2?, 1923.

SETH A. CRONE, GE EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY. v

RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM.

Application filed July 31,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SETH A. CRONE, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of. East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Brake Beams, of which the following is a specification.

The invention pertains to trussed beams for railway cars and especially to novel means for securing the strut andcompression member in rigid relation to each other.

My invention resides in a novel construction involving a swiveled or pivotally mounted locking dog carried by the strut and adapted to be forced into binding. re lation with the compression member, said locking dog having a portion to be bent outwardly against the compression member after the dog has been forced into engagement therewith for retaining the dog in its locking position.

One object of the present invention is to dispense with wedges and other separate parts usually employed for binding the strut and compression member in rigid relation. to each other.

In accordance with my invention the strut carries the locking dog as a portion thereof, and said locking dog is not separable from the strut but is always in position for use.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide very strong and durable means for securing the strut and compression member I together, the locking dog which I apply to the strut being either of malleable casting or steel forging and capable of being driven to position by means of a hammer without becoming distorted or broken.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a brake-beam showing the swiveled locking dog carried by the strut in looking engagement with the compression member. of. the brake-beam;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same showing the locking dog in. an initial position prior to being engaged with the compression member;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section, partly broken away, through the beam and taken on the dotted line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. l is aview inf-rontperspective of 1922. Serial No. 578,595.

the locking dog detached or separate from the strut; Fig. 5 is a side elevation ofthe same; Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the same, be-

ing a projection downwardly from Fig. 5 Fig. 7 is a front perspective, view of a modifiedform of locking dogembodying my invention, this dog beingmade from forged steel instead of malleable casting, ac-

cording to which the locking dog of. Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive is made;

Fig. 8 is aside elevation ofthe locking dog shown in Fig. 7, being..a projection takenfrom the right hand edge of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a bottom projection taken. from the lower side of Fig. 8; I

Fig. 10 is a top View of the blank from which the looking dog of Figs. 7 8 and 9 is formed, and

Fig. 11 is an edge view of the same, be-. ing a projection taken from the lower edge of Fig. 10.

In the drawings 10 designates a channelshaped compression member of a brakebeam, and 11 the strut, which bemade from a bar of forged metal forming two integral sides 12 to receive between them, as usual, the brake lever, not shown, and pro? viding at its folded middle portion a yoke or loop 13 which extends transversely upon and closely receives the channel member '10, which may be of any approved or suitable cross section. r

The compression member 10 and strut 11. may be modified in construction in various ways without departure from my invention, which resides more particularly in the com bination with the strut and compression.

member of a brakebeam, of a pivoted lock,- ing dog 14 carried by the strut and adapted, after-the assembly of the compression member and strut, to be forced into locking. engagement with the compression member, thereby securely binding the strut and compression member in rigid relation. to each other. I

The sidesof the strut forwardly of the flanges of the compression member are parallel, as at 15, and extending through and between theseportions of the sides. of the strut is a strong rivet or the like 16 upon which the locking dog let is swiveled, said EAYEQFF locking dog being adapted to. turn on the rivet 16 and also to be swung between the inclusive is in one integral malleable casting and somewhat triangular in side elevation, said dog being formed at one end with the sleeve 17 through which the rivet 1G is passed, and at its other end with an arcuate section 18 extending the full width of the dog and being eccentric to the center of the rivet 16. The arcuate section 18 is connected with the sleeve 17 by the side members 19 of the dog and also by means of a central web 20, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The sides 19 of the dog extend beyond the inner end of the arcuate section 18, as shown in Fig. 4, and said section 18 is formed with a projecting tongue 21 which is free of the sides 19 and extends beyond the same. In the initial condition of the locking dog, the tongue 21 may extend on the same arc as the section 18 of said dog, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The dog 14 is carried by the strut, being permanently mounted on the rivet 16 which is headed at its opposite ends at the outer sides of the side members of the strut, and on the initial assembly of the compression member 10 and strut 11, the locking dog 14 may be in the general position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 2, said dog then being entirely free of the compression member. After the compression member and strut have been assembled by the passage ot the compression member through the yoke 18 of the strut or the slipping of said yoke along said compression member, the strut and compression member must be secured together, and to accomplish this purpose I force, by hammering or otherwise, the dog 14 to turn outwardly against the inner surface of the web of the compression member,

or to the position in which said dog is shown in Fig. 1, the arcuate section 18 then being firmly wedged agalnst the compression member. In order to prevent reverse motion of the locking dog 14 from its position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig, 2, due to the jarring of the mechanism, I provide the dog with the tongue .21 which, after the dog has been driven to operative position or from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in F ig. 1, is bent outwardly against the web of the compression member or to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and by solid lines in Fig. 3. The bending of the tongue 21 outwardly against the web of the compression member may be performed by means of a hammer or other suit able tool. After the tongue 21 has been bent outwardly against the compression member, the dog will be incapable of turning reversely from engagement with said member, said tongue by reason of its projection preventing the reverse turning of the dog on the rivet 16. The web 20 is on the central line of the rivet 16, and I so proportion the size of the dog that when the dog is driven.

to its binding or operative position or from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1, the plane of the web 20 does not pass into the central line of the strut and rivet, but inclines to one side thereof, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that by no possibility may the dog be driven from one side to the other of the rivet 16. The arcuate section 18 being eccentric to the rivet 16 serves as a wedge to bind against the web of the compression member and at the same time also prevents the dog from being carried over the center of the rivet 16. The arcuate section 18 serves to prevent the dog having undue movement inwardly against the web of the compression member and the tongue 21 when bent outwardly against said web, prevents said dog from, due to arring or otherwise, having a reverse movement towards its initial position. The dog 14 when once positioned thus serves to securely bind the compression member and strut together the arcuate surface 18 of the dog binding against the web of the compression member and the sleeve 17 against the rivet 16.

The ends of the sleeve 17 are cut away or in part discontinued, as at 22, so that said outwardly into near relation to the inner surfaces of the sides of the strut, as shown in Fig. 3.

The construction of the dog shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive is such as to produce a dog possessing great resisting power and of sutiiciently durability to permit said dog to be hammered into its operative position and act with entire efficiency. 1 make the tongue 21 of somewhat considerable length, as shown, so that it may be bent outwardly against the compression member without danger of the tongue being broken ofi. Since the dog is of malleable casting, the tongue may be bent outwardly against the compres sion member without danger and may also be bent inwardly from said compression member at any time it may be desired to re move the strut from the compression memher. 1 do not of course limit my invention to the length of the tongue 21, the essential consideration being that the tongue 21 shall be sufficiently long to prevent reverse motion of the dog 14. a In F igs. 7 to 11 inclusive 1 show a dog 2 possessing all of the functions of the dog 14 shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, but made from a forging instead of from a malleable casting. The dog 23 is formed from a blank 24. of the form shown in Fig. 10, said'blank being folded or U ed to provide the correspending opposite side members 25. aren= ate section 26 and tongue 27. The side-members 25 are apertured, as at 28, to receive the rivet 16. The arcuate surface 26 of the dog 23 corresponds with the arcuate surface 18 of the dog 14, and the tongue 27 of the dog corresponds in function with the tongue The arcuate surface 26 is, corresponding ly with the arcuate surface 18 ofthe dog 14, eccentric to the center of the rivet 16 or is on aline tangential to a circle struck from the center of the rivet 16, thereby assuring an effectual wedge-action when the dog is driven into its operative position. I

It. is usual in struts to provide a rivet forwardly of the twisted portions of the sides of the strut'for connecting said sides. In accordance with my invention the rivet 16 serves to effectually connect the sides of the strut forwardly of the compression member and at the same time is so positioned as to cooperate with the locking dog in securing a rigid relation of the strut and compression member to each other.

The locking dog is carried by the strut, and hence there is no danger of the locking feature of the brake-beam being lost or misplaced. The locking dog may be of other constructions than those shown in the drawings, and hence my invention is not limited to the details of the construction of thelocking dog further than the scope of the appended claims may require. I believe my invention to be broadly new in providing aswinging locking dogcarried by a strut to be forced into wedging engagement with the compression member of a brake-beam, and I desire to secure adequate protection for my invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1, In a brake-beam having a compression member and a strut connected therewith, means for binding the compression member and strut together comprising a locking device at one end pivoted'on the strut and adapted at its other end to be driven into binding relation with said compression memher, said device being adapted for lateral swinging movement and at its outer initally free end being adapted to be wedged againstthe inner surface of the compression member by blows directed laterally against one edge of sald end.

2. In a brake-beam having a compression member and a strut connected therewlth,

means for binding the compression member and strut together comprising a rivet connecting the sides of the strut forwardly of the compression member and a locking device at one end mounted to swlng on said rivet and adapted at its other end to be driven into binding relation with said compression member, said locklng device then acting as a wedge. between and binding against both sald rlvet and the inner surface of the compression member, and said device being adapted for lateral swinging movement at its initially free end, and to. be given its operative position by blows direct ed laterally against one edge of said end.

In a brakebeam having a compression member and a strut connected therewith,

means for binding the compression member thereby prevent reverse'motion thereof from its operative position.

4; In a brake-beam having a compression member and a strut connected therewith, means for binding the compression member and strut together comprising a rivet connecting the sides of the strut forwardly of the compression member and a locking de-' vice at one 'end mounted to swing on said rivet and adapted at its other end to be driven into binding relation with said compression'member, said locking device having a forward tongue to be bent against said compression member to thereby prevent reverse motion of the device from its operative position. i

5. In a brake-beam having a, compression member and a strut connected therewith, means for binding the compression member and strut together, comprising a swinging wedge device pivotally mounted at one' 'end on and carried by the strut and having an arcuate surface at its other end to be driven against the compression member with bind: ing effect, said arcuate surface extending lengthwise of the compression member and tangentially to the inner longitudinal surface of the web of said member, and said device being adapted for-lateral swinging movement at its arcuate initially free end and to be given its operative position by blows direct-ed laterally against one edge of said end. 3 v V 6. In a brake-beam having a compression member and a I strut connected therewith, means for binding the compression member and strut together comprisinga" swinging wedge device pivotally mounted at one end on and carried by the strut and having an arcuate surface at its other end to be driven against the compression member with binding effect, said arcuate surface being eccentric to the pivoted end of said device, and said device having a forward tongue to be bent against the compression member to thereby prevent reverse motion of said device.

7. In a brake-beam having a compression member and a strut connected therewith, means for binding the compression member and strut together comprising a rivet connecting the sides of the strut forwardly of the compression member and a swinging wedge-dog pivotally mounted at one end on said rivet and adapted at its other end to be driven into binding relation with said compression member, the outer initially free end of said dog being elongated and tangential to the inner longitudinal surface of the compression member, and said dog being adapted to be given its operative position by blows directed laterally against one edge of said end, and said dog when in operative position acting as a wedge be tween and binding against both said rivet and the-inner surface of the compression member.

8. In a brake-beam having a compression member and a strut connected therewith. means for binding the compression member and strut together comprising a rivet connecting the sides of the strut forwardly of the compression member and a swinging wedge-dog pivotally mounted at one end on said rivet and adapted at its other end to be driven into binding relation with said.

compression member, said compression member being of channel beam type and said dog being adapted to swing between the flanges thereof and engage the inner surface of the web of the beam, and said dog having a forward tongue to be bent against .said web to thereby prevent reverse motion of said dog.

9. In a brake-beam having a compression memberand a strut connected therewith, means for binding the compression member and strut together comprising a rivet connecting the sides of the strut forwardly of the compression member and a swinging wedge-dog pivotally mounted at one end on said rivet and adapted at its other end to be driven into binding relation with said compression member, said compression member being of channel beam type and said dog being adapted to swing between the flanges thereof and engage the inner surface of the web of the beam, and said dog at its outer end having a curved surface to-engage said web and which surface is eccentric to the pivot point of the dog, and tangential to the inner longitudinal;

the compression member and a swinging wedge-dog pivotally mounted at one end or said rivet and adapted at its other end to be driven into binding relation with said com pression member, said dog being in one in tegral piece and having sides and an arouate section connecting said sides and constituting the outer end of the dog, said arouate section being elongated longitudinally of the compression member and tangential to the inner longitudinal surface thereof, and said dog being adapted to be given its operative position by blows directed laterally against one edge of said end, and said dog when in operative position acting as a wedge between and binding against both said rivet and the inner surface of the cornpression member.

11. In a brake-beam having a compression member and a strut connected therewith, means for binding the compression member and strut together comprising a rivet connecting the sides of the strut forwardly ofthe compression member and a swinging wedge-clog pivotally mounted at one end on said rivet and adapted at its other nd to be driven into binding relation with said compression member, said dog being in one integral piece and having sides and an arcuate eccentrically disposed section connecting said sides and constituting the outer end of the dog.

12-. In a brake-beam having a compression member and a strut connected therewith, means for binding the compression member and strut together comprising a. rivet connecting the sides of the strutforwardly of the compression member and a swinging wedgedog pivotally mounted at one end on said rivet and adapted at its other end to be driven into binding relation with said compression member, said dog be ing in one integral piece and having sides, an outer arcuate end connecting said sides and a forwardly extending tongue to be bent into engagement with the compression member.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 15th day of July, A. D. 1922. V

' SETH A. CRONE; 

